Brandenburg Concertos

Imagine what it takes to perform chorus music, soloist music, different orchestrations on every single cantata, all of the organ music.

What is that, 15, 20 hours more of music? and Brandenburg Concertos and big masterworks like the B Minor Mass and all of this stuff.

And we really get into it.

So many interesting things.

This is an instrument that you don't really think about when you think about Bach's solo works.

So, I mean, we do get to hear it in the Brandenburg Concertos and things like that with some pretty spectacular brass.

But here, these are more for melodic single line instruments.

And let's see what he does with these.

About a week later he left Weimar for Köthen, 80 miles to the northeast, with his wife and four children.

End of Part 2 CHAPELMEISTER WITH PRINCE LEOPOLD at girthen he began a new life for one thing he no longer filled the post of organist the court of prince leopold was of the calvinistic faith church services being of a particularly austere nature required no organ playing of a virtuoso type or the production of sacred cantatas such as bach had hitherto been turning out in quantity yet leopold was an ardent music lover whose tastes ran to instrumental composition he maintained an orchestra of eighteen of which bach now became kapellmeister such cantatas as he wrote in curtin were secular ones chiefly in honor of his employer for the most part his creative energies were now concentrated on concertos suites sonatas and clavier works including some of his very greatest instrumental music before bach's day had scarcely achieved what might be called an independent life in the creations of his curtain period we discover in effect the most vigorous roots of our symphonic literature especially in the four suites or overtures as bach called them and the six brandenburg concertos scholars have been unable to decide definitely whether the former were composed in kutyn or in leipsic at all events they were performed before the duke and also before the telemann musical society in leipsic of which the composer was subsequently director the third suite in d is the one comprising the exalted and incomparable which achieved long afterwards a popularity of its own in the transcription of it for the g string by the violinist august wilhelm yet every movement of each suite constitutes a priceless jewel of instrumental music the brandenburg concertos are in a somewhat different case they were composed for christian ludwig margrave of brandenburg and a son of the great elector whom bach appears to have met on a journey with prince leopold Christian Ludwig had a hobby of collecting concertos by various composers, and he commissioned Bach to write him some pieces.

In an elaborate preface, couched in extraordinary French and dated Curtin, March 24, 1721, the composer begged his noble patron to accept these products of his slight talents and to overlook their imperfections.

Whether the private orchestra of the Margrave played the works or not, we cannot say.

After Christian Ludwig died, the catalogue of his richly stocked library had no mention of Bach's half-dozen trifles.

The precious masterpieces turned up in a mass of scores offered for sale in job-lots.

It is practically certain, however, that the Brandenburg concertos were performed by the Prinzliche Kapelle at Köthen in Bach's presence, for the composer had been wise enough to make copies of his scores.

they are not concertos in the modern sense of the term but continuations and developments of those concerti grossi of masters like torelli vivaldi and corelli In various permutations and combinations, they contrast groups of solo instruments, the concertino, with the background of the tutti.

About a week later he left Weimar for Köthen, 80 miles to the northeast, with his wife and four children.

End of Part 2 CHAPELMEISTER WITH PRINCE LEOPOLD at girthen he began a new life for one thing he no longer filled the post of organist the court of prince leopold was of the calvinistic faith church services being of a particularly austere nature required no organ playing of a virtuoso type or the production of sacred cantatas such as bach had hitherto been turning out in quantity yet leopold was an ardent music lover whose tastes ran to instrumental composition he maintained an orchestra of eighteen of which bach now became kapellmeister such cantatas as he wrote in curtin were secular ones chiefly in honor of his employer for the most part his creative energies were now concentrated on concertos suites sonatas and clavier works including some of his very greatest instrumental music before bach's day had scarcely achieved what might be called an independent life in the creations of his curtain period we discover in effect the most vigorous roots of our symphonic literature especially in the four suites or overtures as bach called them and the six brandenburg concertos scholars have been unable to decide definitely whether the former were composed in kutten or in leipsic at all events they were performed before the duke and also before the telemann musical society in leipsic of which the composer was subsequently director the third suite in d is the one comprising the exalted and incomparable which achieved long afterwards a popularity of its own in the transcription of it for the g string by the violinist august wilhelm yet every movement of each suite constitutes a priceless jewel of instrumental music the brandenburg concertos are in a somewhat different case they were composed for christian ludwig margrave of brandenburg and a son of the great elector whom bach appears to have met on a journey with prince leopold christian ludwig had a hobby of collecting concertos by various composers and he commissioned bach to write him some pieces in an elaborate preface couched in extraordinary french and dated curtain march twenty fourth seventeen twenty one the composer begged his noble patron to accept these products of his slight talents and to overlook their imperfections whether the private orchestra of the margrave played the works or not we cannot say neither do we know if bach's gift was even acknowledged after christian ludwig died the catalogue of his richly stocked library had no mention of bach's half-dozen trifles the precious masterpieces turned up in a mass of scores offered for sale in job lots it is practically certain however that the brandenburg concertos were performed by the princely capelle at ktten in bach's presence for the composer had been wise enough to make copies of his scores they are not concertos in the modern sense of the term but continuations and developments of those concerti grossi of masters like torelli vivaldi and corelli In various permutations and combinations, they contrast groups of solo instruments, the concertino, with the background of the tutti.

The concerti grossi of Händel furnish examples of the same principle of balance and diversity.

The fact that none of the Brandenburg concertos is in a minor key and that somber moods are rare points to the probability that they were written for entertainment purposes.

their variety is astonishing with no two quite alike the first in f major is the only one which calls for horns and for the performance of this concerto two horn players were specially engaged at the second likewise in f requires a trumpet the solitary appearance in the entire set of this instrument to choose between the brandenburg concertos to determine their relative musical worth is impossible yet in some respects the sixth in b flat if perhaps the least frequently played is the most unusual no violins are used in its scoring the employment of two violas two violas de gamba and cello gives the work a peculiar dark string color wholly its own Let us mention here the wondrous concerto for two violins, another sublime inspiration of Bach's curtain days.

It is probable that it was played by the concertmaster Josephus Spies and the excellent violinist Johann Rose, who also played the oboe and taught fencing to the court pages, with the composer conducting the orchestral accompaniment.

and prince leopold himself who not only enjoyed music but played it well doubtless took part in the sonatas for clavier and viola da gamba he could not do without his musicians apparently and when in seventeen eighteen he went to take the cure at carlsbad he had the sextet from his capelle accompany him bach was one of the retinue the following year the kapellmeister made a pilgrimage to nearby halle in an effort to meet handel who had come to the continent to engage singers for his operatic ventures in london but neither at this time nor on a subsequent occasion when he tried to make the acquaintance of his great contemporary was he successful handel had already returned to england seemingly far less eager to meet bach than bach was to meet him in may seventeen twenty prince leopold again went to take the carlsbad waters and once more bach was in his train the visit was somewhat longer this time and it ended grievously for the composer when he set out he left his wife in the best of health and spirits when he came back he found her dead and buried With Maria Barbara gone, there was apparently no one to look after Wilhelm Friedemann, Philipp Emanuel, and Johann Gottfried Bernhard, the eldest not more than ten.

It is pleasant to record that Kaiserling paid Bach liberally for his variations.

they did it.

Again, it's so funny, like, hearing you talk about this because it's true and it's, again, just history runs, right? And when we talk about, like, the Baroque horn, right? When we're talking about, like, Bach and, like, these Brandenburg Concerti, it's extremely chromatic and really dicey up there and they're doing it on a I can't even use my hand.

Right.

It's like, and now I have to use like a desk hand horn and it's gotta be, you know, like all this stuff.

Track 27, Giga, or a jig, from Book 2.

The triplet rhythm is there, here proceeding like the last movement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, that is, in a stately manner.

This is a jig for the ballroom.

It sounds dignified.

This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.

Kapelmeister with Prince Leopold at girthen he began a new life for one thing he no longer filled the post of organist the court of prince leopold was of the calvinistic faith church services being of a particularly austere nature required no organ playing of a virtuoso type or the production of sacred cantatas such as bach had hitherto been turning out in quantity yet leopold was an ardent music lover whose tastes ran to instrumental composition he maintained an orchestra of eighteen of which bach now became kapellmeister such cantatas as he wrote in curtin were secular ones chiefly in honor of his employer for the most part his creative energies were now concentrated on concertos suites sonatas and clavier works including some of his very greatest instrumental music before bach's day had scarcely achieved what might be called an independent life in the creations of his kurten period we discover in effect the most vigorous roots of our symphonic literature especially in the four suites or overtures as bach called them and the six brandenburg concertos scholars have been unable to decide definitely whether the former were composed in kutten or in leipsic at all events they were performed before the duke and also before the telemann musical society in leipsic of which the composer was subsequently director the third suite in d is the one comprising the exalted and incomparable which achieved long afterwards a popularity of its own in the transcription of it for the g string by the violinist august wilhelm yet every movement of each suite constitutes a priceless jewel of instrumental music the brandenburg concertos are in a somewhat different case they were composed for christian ludwig margrave of brandenburg and a son of the great elector whom bach appears to have met on a journey with prince leopold christian ludwig had a hobby of collecting concertos by various composers and he commissioned bach to write him some pieces in an elaborate preface couched in extraordinary french and dated curtain march twenty fourth seventeen twenty one the composer begged his noble patron to accept these products of his slight talents and to overlook their imperfections Whether the private orchestra of the Margrave played the works or not, we cannot say.

Neither do we know if Bach's gift was even acknowledged.

After Christian Ludwig died, the catalogue of his richly stocked library had no mention of Bach's half-dozen trifles.

The precious masterpieces turned up in a mass of scores offered for sale in job lots.

It is practically certain, however, that the Brandenburg concertos were performed by the Prinzliche Kapelle at Köthen in Bach's presence, for the composer had been wise enough to make copies of his scores.

they are not concertos in the modern sense of the term but continuations and developments of those concerti grossi of masters like torelli vivaldi and corelli In various permutations and combinations, they contrast groups of solo instruments, the concertino, with the background of the tutti.

The concerti grossi of Händel furnish examples of the same principle of balance and diversity.

This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.

Kapelmeister with Prince Leopold at girthen he began a new life for one thing he no longer filled the post of organist the court of prince leopold was of the calvinistic faith church services being of a particularly austere nature required no organ playing of a virtuoso type or the production of sacred cantatas such as bach had hitherto been turning out in quantity yet leopold was an ardent music lover whose tastes ran to instrumental composition he maintained an orchestra of eighteen of which bach now became kapellmeister such cantatas as he wrote in curtin were secular ones chiefly in honor of his employer for the most part his creative energies were now concentrated on concertos suites sonatas and clavier works including some of his very greatest instrumental music before bach's day had scarcely achieved what might be called an independent life in the creations of his curtain period we discover in effect the most vigorous roots of our symphonic literature especially in the four suites or overtures as bach called them and the six brandenburg concertos scholars have been unable to decide definitely whether the former were composed in kutten or in leipsic at all events they were performed before the duke and also before the telemann musical society in leipsic of which the composer was subsequently director the third suite in d is the one comprising the exalted and incomparable which achieved long afterwards a popularity of its own in the transcription of it for the g string by the violinist august wilhelm yet every movement of each suite constitutes a priceless jewel of instrumental music the brandenburg concertos are in a somewhat different case they were composed for christian ludwig margrave of brandenburg and a son of the great elector whom bach appears to have met on a journey with prince leopold christian ludwig had a hobby of collecting concertos by various composers and he commissioned bach to write him some pieces in an elaborate preface couched in extraordinary french and dated curtain march twenty fourth seventeen twenty one the composer begged his noble patron to accept these products of his slight talents and to overlook their imperfections whether the private orchestra of the margrave played the works or not we cannot say neither do we know if bach's gift was even acknowledged After Christian Ludwig died, the catalogue of his richly stocked library had no mention of Bach's half-dozen trifles.

The precious masterpieces turned up in a mass of scores offered for sale in job lots.

It is practically certain, however, that the Brandenburg concertos were performed by the Prinzliche Kapelle at Köthen in Bach's presence, for the composer had been wise enough to make copies of his scores.

they are not concertos in the modern sense of the term but continuations and developments of those concerti grossi of masters like torelli vivaldi and corelli In various permutations and combinations, they contrast groups of solo instruments, the concertino, with the background of the tutti.

The concerti grossi of Händel furnish examples of the same principle of balance and diversity.

The fact that none of the Brandenburg concertos is in a minor key and that somber moods are rare points to the probability that they were written for entertainment purposes.

their variety is astonishing with no two quite alike the first in f major is the only one which calls for horns and for the performance of this concerto two horn players were specially engaged at the second likewise in f requires a trumpet the solitary appearance in the entire set of this instrument to choose between the brandenburg concertos to determine their relative musical worth is impossible yet in some respects the sixth in b flat if perhaps the least frequently played is the most unusual no violins are used in its scoring the employment of two violas two violas de gamba and cello gives the work a peculiar dark string color wholly its own Let us mention here the wondrous concerto for two violins, another sublime inspiration of Bach's curtain days.